Deebs (c) vs. Chiko (a)
4 vs 4
20 AP limit
72 Hr DQ
Return = KO
Route 111 - Desert (Outdoor Arena) - This sandy desert sitting in the rainshadow of the Mt. Chimey, whipped by dusty winds and fierce sandstorms. In the middle of an otherwise temperate climate, this desert is heated not only by the sun, but by the floes of lava underneath it, giving it a pleasantly warm, though awfully dry climate. The desert is constantly beaten by a fairly powerful sandstorm, which reduces visibility considerably. However, in the center of the desert where the battle starts, there is a slight pocket of air that has calmed the fierce sands. The ground, being entirely made of sand, is easily dug through but does not conduct Ground energy particularly well, making EQs slightly less effective. Every round, there is a 10% chance that a sandstorm will whip up, lasting until the start of the next round. When the sandstorm fades, Mirage Tower will appear, and though it cannot be entered, its sandstone structure can be fought on or around.

By the time the two trainers arrive at the site of battle, they look as if they have already been through a great deal. To find this brief reprise, this small pocket of relative calm, they have had to brave sandstorms in an unmapped search.

It cannot be said that interference from the blowing sand is not a concern here, but this will have to do. It is as good as any corner of this desert can be, or at least so it seems to the trainers after their wandering lost for who knows how long. Eager to finally reap the fruits of their labour and fulfill the purpose of coming here, the two trainers call upon their Pokemon.

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Minior (Rock/Flying): Minior will enter the battle with a shell of rocky material. This shell grants it an 20% higher defense and a resistance against status attacks, but also restricts its mobility somewhat and slows it down. Once it reaches half health, it will shed the shell, revealing its neon core. Without its shell, it becomes quite agile and fast, losing it's defensive bonuses but being granted a 10% boost to both offensive stats in return.

Liepard (Dark): Liepard are mischievous and deceptive Pokémon, using their cuteness and playfulness to distract the foe and strike. Any attacks involving deception or distraction will be more successful. They are well adapted to moving silently. They are able climbers and have excellent poise and balance. As cat, they will usually land on their feet, and can slip through gaps that might seem too thin at first glance with little drop in speed.

Prowler purrs as she takes her position, contracting her lean muscles and readying herself to pounce like lightning if she needs to. Yes, though she might be known best for hiding in the shadows at night, she is no longer a Purrloin but a Liepard. She can hold her own just fine even in broad daylight; she can back up her pragmatism with direct force. However, at the same time, she cannot deny that her foe piques her interest. Its expression is entirely cloaked from her, and it is certainly not the kind of prey she is used to. What capabilities lie hidden under that shell? As if to answer her questions, the Minior suddenly whirrs into motion. It begins to rotate on the spot, faster and faster, until electricity starts to crackle around its small body, and its five spokes have merged, by all accounts, into a single wheel. The feline immediately tenses, her eyes narrowing as she allows her battle instincts to take over. She will have time later to ponder; it is time now to fight. Just as suddenly as it had started spinning, the Meteor Pokemon begins to slow down, and the Charges that have built up begin to accumulate at a single point. They then proceed to shoot forward as a Beam, the Cruel Pokemon bracing herself. Even as the electricity courses through her body, however, making her fun stand on end, and even though some of the electricity remains with the Minior to boost his Special Attack, she does not express any pain or fear.

And she does not attack, either. No, now is not the time. If she has learned something from all the time she has spent lurking in the shadows waiting for the enemy to leave itself vulnerable, waiting for such an opportunity that it can end the skirmish before it starts, with a single swipe, it is that she has to bide her time and wait. Haste will do her no good. Patience does not mean inaction, however, and a smirk slowly spreads across her face as she decides what she is going to do: something more subtle but nonetheless something the foe will regret. Presently D'Artagnan calls out to the aether itself for its Power, to grant it a fraction of the fortitude that marks the boundary between the Earth and the heavens above, and its body begins to glow with Cosmic energies. Only for a moment, however, for the aura fades immediately and reappears instead around Prowler. It would seem that a great jealousy has emerged in her mind, and she is going to see this pang satiated even if it means Snatching away what belongs to her opponent. Feeling her defenses rise, she decides that now it is the time to strike. She inhales sharply and then lets out a series of rings composed of Dark energy, deep black in colour but carrying just a tinge of red. The Pulses slam into the Meteor Pokemon and slam it away, and although it seems it intended to rise up anyway it clearly does not appreciate the damage that accompanies it.

D'Artagnan took slightly more damage, but on the other hand Prowler used more energy. Nonetheless, both are looking sharp, with D'Artagnan sporting a Special Attack boost and Prowler a boost to both her defenses.

The momentum seems to be in the Liepard's hands, at least for now, and one of the core tenets for a predator is to maintain this leverage. She has to keep her opponent on edge, keep them occupied, not allowing them a single opening to steal the upper hand. That does not mean she has to do this head-on, however; she instead opts to Trick her opponent. After all, deception, harm received that one may not even know about, is perhaps even more frightening than direct pain, for the latter is plain as daylight. She concentrates, and she realizes she can see a small glimmer on her opponent's body, representing its item. Her own item is presently of no use to her, but her opponent's item seems to hold some promise. It is thus that she chooses to steal the benefits of her opponent's item in exchange for her own, and it is in her mind a profitable trade. Not quite sure what has happened but certain that something or the other has gone wrong, the Minior immediately buzzes into action. It begins to spin, faster and faster, even faster than before, even as radiant energy spews from the cracks on its rocky Shell. Suddenly, the rocky fragments are Smashed in a blinding flash of light, and there stands the true form of the foe.

The Liepard hisses, startled, but her surprise quickly turns to smugness when she realizes that the boosts intended for her opponent have actually been received by her. Moreover, her opponent's form is now exposed, and now this is the time to strike. She suddenly rears back, standing up on her hind legs as her forefeet rise up into the air and come together, darkness itself sparking between them. Her paws come down on the ground with a slam, and a violent Pulse of black erupts as soon as contact is made, shockwaves surging in the Minor's direction. However, it seems that the Meteor Pokemon is not going to let its previous disappointments hold it down. No, instead its bright body suddenly flings itself into motion, arcing around the shockwaves to slightly take off the sting of the attack, and then spinning through the air in the feline's direction. Her body goes taut, her powerful muscles ready to capitalize on her newfounbd speed boost to get out of the way, but D'Artagnan, much faster now that it is not weighed down by its shell, turns out to be even swifter. It shoots into its opponent's body, managing to Take her [b]down[/d] into the sand. By the time Prowler stops flailing and hops to her feet, the opposition is already back up in the air, ostensibly having used the momentum from the blow to do so.

Once again, damage outputs were very similar. Prowler has received the boosts from Shell Smash. Items have been swapped.